Wegmans Food Markets, a family-owned supermarket chain with 95 stores in the northeast and mid-Atlantic region, was ranked #2 for corporate reputation among the 100 most visible companies, according to the 2018 Harris Poll Reputation Quotient® (RQ) study.

“We are so thankful for our employees, who make it possible for Wegmans to be recognized in this way,” says Colleen Wegman. “They make us proud and very grateful for the reputation they have earned on our behalf.”

The Annual RQ study begins with a Nomination Phase which is used to identify 100 companies with the most “visible” reputations according to the general public. The final list of the 100 most visible companies in the U.S. is measured in the RQ Ratings Section. This year’s rating interviews took place online between December 11 and January 12, 2018 among 25,800 U.S. adults to obtain an average of approximately 300 ratings per company.

Wegman’s Poll

Six dimensions are measured: Social Responsibility, Emotional Appeal, Products and Services, Vision and Leadership, Financial Performance and Workplace Environment.

Wegmans ranked #1 for Workplace Environment and was the only company to rank in the top 5 for all six dimensions. Wegmans was also one of only 10 companies to score an ‘excellent’ rating (80+) for social responsibility, ranking #2 in that dimension with a score of 82.3.

“The RQ® 2018 study reveals that consumers are increasingly interested in what a company stands for, how they engage with society and their community,” said The Harris Poll CEO, John Gerzema. “In this new world, reputation is a verb.”

Use a Payroll Service to save time and money with your business

Businesses everywhere, big and small, are turning to automated, online services to streamline their payroll systems.

As we all know, a worker is worth his wages. And, a worker is also worth a reliable system that delivers their paycheck on time—every time. Streamlining your company’s payroll system can ensure that your employees are well taken care of. The important thing is to find the exact payroll service that is right for your business.

This user-friendly, online system is one of the most common payroll services on the market. With a simple process for managing employee hours and earnings, Intuit promises to make “payday effortless.” Easily integrated with Quickbooks online, this platform offers 3 plans—Basic, Enhanced, and Full Service—each with their own benefits according to the size of your business and its needs. Some of the Full-Service features include:

According to their site, nine out of ten people claim that Gusto is easier to use than other payroll solutions. With slogans like Setup is a snap, and Make payroll a breeze, Gusto might be the best option if you’re looking for a straightforward start-up.

Gusto offers an on-site demo of their services and a pricing FAQ page, making their program as effortless as possible. Here are some of the features Gusto provides:

Given its user-friendly interface, Gusto may be just the payroll service your growing company needs. Though it’s the newest program on our list, it has risen to the top in popularity and is continuing to gain momentum in the world of business.

Founded in 1971, and boasting more than 600,000 businesses nation-wide, Paychex may be your most trusted solution for payroll services. With 4 packages to choose from, their services range from basic payroll options to employee screening and administration assistance. Some of their features include:

Another cool feature of Paychex is their extensive collection of article resources. These articles cover not only potential payroll issues but many other facets of business as well. Overall, Paychex does a great job of providing business resources you can rely on.

The bottom line is, no matter which payroll service you choose for your business, your employees deserve the most reliable payment system you can afford. Truly, a worker is worth his wages, and automating the payroll process is well-worth the investment.

Most of the time, it all boils down to money but sometimes it’s also about being in control – to a fault

As entrepreneurs, we know that it’s easier to do things when we do them ourselves, but is it? The answer is HELL NO. It’s actually much harder and it’s continuously set you back. It’s like having your foot on the gas with your car on a platform with no wheels.

We must get used to the fact that we do not know everything and we cannot DO everything. This comes from us trying repeatedly to hire people who disappoint us. The whole process of hiring and training and the minute you think that you can breathe, things go awry. I SO know that frustration. Granted everyone will not be as interested in our businesses as we will but we cannot kill ourselves in the process.

If it’s a money issue, (or a lack therof) perhaps it’s time to consider getting a small business loan to take you to the next level. You have to be very careful about how you spend the money so planning is paramount. You can check

The more you try to do yourself the less that will get done and you won’t grow. Ask yourself if you could be satisfied with that working 16 to 18 hour days and not making any progress. We are all very familiar with what I like to call “the circle” that is where you have a goal to do something or get something accomplished and in the process, one thing pops up that turns into 10 other things, that turn into 10 other things that turn into 20 other things. I’m absolutely sure you know what I’m talking about it happens every day and before you know it, the day is gone another wasted day of not getting our goals accomplished.

At some point, you have to ask yourself do you want to be a band member or a conductor. if you’re going to have a successful business you’re going to have to be a conductor. After a couple of years, you should know how to run your business with your hands tied behind your back. The trick is to get somebody else to do it while you focus on the other things like hiring, sales, invoices, contracts, events and conferences, family and the list goes on and on. As stated, we cannot do everything ourselves. do yourself a favor, and get the help that you need. No business is worth dying over.

Avoid Business Owner Mistakes: 10 Things You Should Never Do With Your Small business or Allow Someone to do to your business

There are certain things that we may not be aware of that could be hurting our business. Here are a few tips to help you along the way. I wouldn’t say that being a business owner is hard work as much as I would say it can be challenging. As we all know if you love what you do and you do what you love it’s never “work” But I can certainly take a lot out of you. Nevertheless, there are certain things I can get in the way of your progress some of which can literally make you not want to work for the rest of the day But on the other end of that spectrum there are things that we do that we’re not aware of the make people not want to work with us. There are certain things that you should avoid and At the same time, Should not allow others to do when it affects business On both sides. But Let’s focus on you And your business for the story – Here are some tips that I’ve learned over the years that can make your business run a lot smoother her and hoping steps help.

Don’t bring an assistant to a business meeting without telling the other party

I’ve had this happen on a couple of occasions and while others may not mind I find it to be very rude and inconsiderate. If you’re going to bring someone else to a lunch meeting or dinner meeting be considerate enough to let the other business person know.

They may want to discuss something with you that is not privy to other people or they may have questions for you. As you sit at the table with another business person as an equal it is disrespectful and off-putting to bring your assistant or someone else to take notes or to join in on the conversation as an equal. The bottom line is at least give the other person the option to say no I want to talk to you alone by letting them know in advance. It comes off as grandstanding and very diva-like. Nobody is that busy and if you are you shouldn’t have lunch with another businessperson. (click “Next” below to see the next page of the story)

Don’t ask for free or discount services

What I find most amazing about people who ask for discounts is that they are also often the same ones that overcharge other people When it comes to their own services and they want premium rates but they want to pay everybody else peanuts. It is incredibly selfish to ask somebody who works hard for what they have to cut their rates for you and try to make them feel obligated like they owe you something. In the black community, which is what I most experience with, we have this thing with entitlement when it comes to business that says you’re supposed to hook me up. No matter how you look at it, that’s exactly the way it comes off. If I work hard for what I have and I’m providing a great service then you need to PAY the price like everybody else and shut the hell up. Know that if you allow someone a discount or free service, it is absolutely very possible they’re going to tell other people. Which in essence is going to destroy your business and make YOU ask for discounts and hookups in order to pay your own bills. You will never grow in a circle that continues subtracting from each other’s business esteem. Once you get corporate clients and you see that they’re willing to pay for your services full price, it’s very hard to go back to doing welfare business and offering discounts or giving your services away for free. There is just some business that you need to walk away from free and clear. In order to grow you have to let some things GO.

Don’t bring up things that you did for someone in the past

There are people who will do business with you or introduce you to a new client and expect you to give them something free for the tenure of your entire business which means that you pay them back 20 to 1000 times over. Whenever somebody does you a favor or something in business that helps your business that involves a third party, send them a thank you card take them to lunch or do something to wrap the situation IMMEDIATELY so that the situation does not linger. Watch out for the “favor sharks” Who will do you a “favor” and make you pay for the rest of your life Their interest rate is much too high so simply walk away. As the old saying goes there is no such thing as a free lunch. I would dare to even say that the price is HIGHER for a “free lunch” because there is an agenda. In addition, notice that these are also the same people want to continue to play the middleman and never introduce you to the source. Your goal is to meet the source so that YOU can develop the relationship. If someone is TRULY trying to help you out, there is no reason for them to get in the way after the initial deal is done and they get a cut. Don’t feel guilty or obligated wrap it after it happens otherwise you will encounter those who ….

Don’t try to pimp someone’s business out

.. this kind of goes with the last thing. There are people out there who will try to pimp your business out the bring you some business but the money has to go through them as the middleman or ‘business pimp’ I was having a conversation with someone yesterday who was talking about how badly black people treat each other in business and that we don’t support each other and I damn near dropped the phone. This is the SAME person who this entire story is based on (lol). He is guilty of everything that I am writing about. He’s the middleman who never introduces you to the main person with the purse drinks and the money has to come to him from the contact and he sends you a check from HIS business. Right? Who can’t see what’s going on here? What he is doing is collecting a huge percentage for himself and then paying you the 10 to 20% that HE should be earning instead. Make sure you find a way to talk to the people with the money. This is what I love about bitcoin and the direction of the new media concepts. Eliminating the middleman. Whenever you hear about stars going broke and this is not to say they don’t make a lot of financial mistakes but it is often the middleman, someone they trusted who took advantage and bankrupts them. In most cases, they consistently overcharge For their services. Middlemen don’t care about your well-being as much as they do their own. Know that because you are leaving a LOT of money on the table.

Don’t allow anyone to interrupt your day while working

For some odd reason, many people think that entrepreneurs do nothing but sit around and twiddle our thumbs and wait for tons of money to come in. they are really under the impression that because we do what we love, that we’re not working. And part of that is correct, we’re not working but we’re always busy and we never sleep. A phone call from your mother or family member or anyone else calling with drama in the middle of your busy workday can blow off your entire rhythm. And we all know how long it takes to catch up. Weeks sometimes months if we lose our focus. Make sure that you let everyone know, including family, (ESPECIALLY FAMILY) that you are not to receive calls or texts for eight hours while you work. Let them know that you will talk to them afterward but do not allow them to disrupt your day. I do not feel guilty about sending someone directly to voicemail if they break the rule. You can send them a text and ask them is everything OK. If you’re busy constantly tell them you’re busy you’re busy you’re busy you’re busy eventually they’ll get the message. I would also suggest buying a second phone using one for business and one for work on a family plan with most services it’s pretty cheap. I used to wonder why people had two phones, Now I know. You may actually have to turn off your personal phone while you work.

Don’t Be afraid to ask for what you want

As the old saying goes, It’s better to aim high and miss than to aim low and achieve. There are times that you think that someone supporting you is so important that you don’t ask for anything in return. Bull! If they’re coming to you, The ball is in your court, they need you TOO and they see your value. The question is do YOU see it? Ask for what you want. As a matter fact ask for MORE than you want and don’t feel guilty about it. If they negotiate down, and they certainly will, you’re still ahead of where you started from.

Stop Ignoring your bank, credit card statements, and bills.

At the end of the year or around tax time you’re probably looking at what you’ve earned an asking yourself where in the hell did the money go? I can tell you one place it goes that we don’t pay enough attention to. You would be AMAZED at how many mistakes, erroneous charges and subscriptions that you never use that are on your bills and your credit card report each month but we are not paying enough attention. These things could add up to hundreds of dollars a month and thousands of dollars a year. If your money is not MAKING money you’re WASTING money. I will soon do a story on investing.

We really get taken by online services. They give you 30 days free, and of course you forget to cancel then they lock you into a one-year contract and if you cancel after those 30 days, they charge you for the rest of the year. I would strongly suggest two things; Immediately put an entry into your calendar with an alarm to cancel the service on the 28th or 29th day before the month is up. Do this right after you pay or sign-up for the service and this way you get a warning on the day before you cancel.

Use PayPal for your exchanges. You can connect the PayPal account to your bank account but the people that you’re paying get very limited information about you. They don’t have your credit card number and PayPal is excellent for helping to get your money back in many situations and you can cancel subscriptions through the PayPal site anytime. The other thing that I really love about PayPal is that they are an extremely powerful online money service that a majority of these companies are afraid of. They don’t want to get strikes from PayPal and possibly lose their ability to accept money from PayPal. So they’re often more than willing to give you your money back even with just a threat of reporting at to PayPal.

I ordered a hosting service after the company lured me away from the service that I use now. They SWORE they could be a better job for half the price. They also told me if I didn’t like the service there was a 30-day money back guarantee. I tried it, it didn’t work and a week later I asked for my money back. They said no. They didn’t do refunds and that I would have to pay for the entire year if I canceled. I called PayPal and the company sent me an email a week later and offered to pay me my money back if I canceled the complaint with PayPal. I told them no. My money was refunded and they got a strike. Unfortunately, they are probably accustomed to ripping people off and people paying the price without complaining. Make sure you think twice about getting services that you don’t need. Just take a few minutes to do research instead of buying apps that may be completely free from another company.

Never allow people to downgrade your business

There are times that when people don’t get what they want from you they will downgrade your business. This is a bully tactic. They try to make you feel bad about not helping them and they’ll say something to you like nobody’s interested in your business or you’re dated or you don’t know what the hell you’re doing. Then why in the hell are you coming to me? That psychology is them putting you down because you didn’t give them what they want. Don’t believe that there was no value in your business otherwise you would not BE in business. And stop keeping company with people like that Even if they are family members. Don’t let anybody disrupt the flow of your vision and business.

Go to conferences or events to further educate yourself

It would behoove you to do yourself a huge favor and constantly learn about your business and what direction you should be going in. There is no doubt the things will change over time and you don’t want to be caught in a position where you don’t know what you’re doing or you are perceived as dated. I know many businesses that have dated concepts because they never learn anything new or they are afraid to transfer the power to someone younger and more knowledgeable of current trends. They also live off tenure which in today’s fast-paced industry is a joke. It’s almost better if you LIE about how long you have been in business and shorten the time.

HIRE PEOPLE WHO KNOW MORE THAN YOU

We will not always be on top of what we’re doing as we are now but that is why you surround yourself with people of all ages WHO KNOW MORE THAN YOU. Many of us do just the opposite so that we can maintain control. We hire people who know less than us and that stunts our growth. You still know how to do something that they don’t know and that is how to do RUN the business and They don’t have your relationships. You don’t want to look dated and you don’t want to have someone walk into your office and you have dated furniture or dated concepts that no longer work. Not transferring the power in time could literally destroy your business I’ve seen it happen repeatedly especially with black businesses. We have a tendency to hold on until we die. At some point, before it’s destroyed you will be disrespected and looked at as a failure or even worse the old man in the room. There is NO recovery from that except to building a whole new house doing something else. Time is of the essence.

Have a “ME” day

You absolutely must and I emphasize MUST take care of yourself. As entrepreneurs, we run ourselves ragged and work while we are sick. Running a business is an addiction, make no mistake, if you are successful at what you do in business you are a self-employed addict. Why else would you put in the hours and the effort like you do? It’s a good addiction as long we keep an eye on it. We are married to what we do but we can’t let what we do … do us IN! By the time you get through working and putting your time in and making your money and doing your sales and looking over the entire business you are probably exhausted and want to go straight to bed, you must make time to go to the gym and get a good workout and hire a trainer. You also must find the time to eat right and take care of yourself I know plenty of entrepreneurs who don’t take care of themselves and they are ill and they are literally walking around in bad physical spiritual and mental shape while they struggle to continue to make their businesses work. I’ve also seen business owners commit suicide, get divorced, or drop dead from a heart attack or stroke being a great business owner is a SKILL. At some point, you HAVE to walk away from the day to day and handle everything else that’s a full-time job. Sales, taxes, accounting, hiring, events etc. What good is your business if you’re not here to do it.

Don’t Stretch yourself too thin

There is only so much that you can do. You have to face it and deal with it. The demands of your business paying your bills your taxes staying on top of things traveling family and everything else can take its toll on you. Work hard AND PLAY HARD. Have a social and a personal life. DO NOT WORK YOURSELF TO DEATH. I’ve seen it WAY too many times. Take the WHOLE weekend off. Write out a list of things to do each day and do what’s most important first and whatever else you can when you can. I know about “the circle” that’s what I like to call it when you sit down to do one thing and 5 other things keep popping up and before you know it, the entire day is shot. I’m SURE you know what I’m talking about. Delegate the things that you can to other people. Don’t neglect your children. It is extremely paramount that you make those baseball and football games and other games along with any kind of recitals as these are the things kids NEVER forget and that shape a child’s entire life they need you and if you miss them you could regret it for the rest of your life and they may never forgive you. Always support your kids

Hiring friends.

I’m not saying that it’s impossible to do and perhaps some people can’t do this but I’ve never had a lot of good luck doing it. Hiring friends is always a problem. They think that you’re obligated to help them and they treat you that way. They give you excuses they take their time getting the work done and they want you to do extra favors like drop off the money at their bank and other things that you don’t have the time to do. I have one friend that I hired who was really good at what she does but she wants me to always drop money off at the banks then stand in line give her account number because she doesn’t have PayPal (because of the fees) and refuses to get it so I’m supposed to be obligated to go and stand in line and wait and then pay her money to her in another state? I finally told her to get a PayPal account or set up Zeele with her bank account or wait for a check in the mail two weeks to a month from now. You have to draw the line at making things convenient and with friends, they don’t like those lines.

Sharing too much business information

There are times we do very well and we want to brag about it we want our friends or anything with the be supportive of us but truth be told it’s not a good idea. Keep your mouth shut, you never know who may go back and say something to the person who is doing business with you or may sabotage what you’re trying to do even if it’s not intentionally. The less they know the better. Talk about it when it’s done but do not talk about it when it’s in the process of being done. There are a lot of other things you can talk about besides with you are doing in your business. It is just not a good idea to discuss business with other entrepreneurs.

For more tips and inspiration follow me and Instagram @blogwallet. or on twitter @blogwallet. My best and business. Please follow us and respond to any comments below

Chef and television personality Gordon Ramsay celebrates the grand opening of the world’s first Gordon Ramsay HELL’S KITCHEN restaurant at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.

Pyrotechnics light up the sky in Las Vegas as Chef Gordon Ramsay celebrates the grand opening of the world’s first Gordon Ramsay HELL’S KITCHEN restaurant at Caesars Palace.

Chef Gordon Ramsay is joined by finalists from Season 17 of Hell’s Kitchen: All Stars Milly Medley, Benjamin Knack, Michelle Tribble and Nick Peters Bond for the grand opening of the first-ever Gordon Ramsay HELL’S KITCHEN restaurant at Caesars …

Chef Gordon Ramsay and Christina Wilson, Season 10 HELL’S KITCHEN winner and current Executive Chef, US Division of Gordon Ramsay Group pose on the red carpet for the grand opening of the world’s first Gordon Ramsay HELL’S KITCHEN …

Multi-Michelin star chef and television personality Gordon Ramsay, joined by the finalists of Season 17 HELL’S KITCHEN All-Stars and famous faces from the sports and entertainment world, celebrated the official grand opening of the first-ever Gordon Ramsay HELL’S KITCHEN restaurant at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Since its soft opening in early January, the highly-anticipated restaurant has already received reservations for nearly 25,000 guests. Reservations are available for lunch and dinner and can be made at www.GRHellsKitchenLV.com.

Designed to be an experiential and immersive destination restaurant, guests at Gordon Ramsay HELL’S KITCHEN will feel transported to the studio set of the globally popular FOX television show. The inspiration from the hit show is evident from the signature fiery pitchfork – direct from the set of the popular TV show – that marks the entryway, to the life-size video screen of Chef Ramsay that greets guests upon arrival, to the chef uniforms and menu items. The winner of current Season 17 of HELL’S KITCHEN All-Stars will be named Head Chef and have portrait hung with the other previous champions on the winner’s wall.

“We responded to fans of the show who were hungry for a real-world HELL’S KITCHEN restaurant for some time – pun intended,” said Ramsay. “What we didn’t fully realize was just how enthusiastic the response would be. We are thrilled with the reservations and interest since announcing our opening, and excited to welcome guests to experience the best of HELL’S KITCHEN – great food, and great cocktails.”

Masterfully designed by Jeffrey Beers International, the first-of-its-kind restaurant boasts design features that are engaging to all senses and are a nod to both the red and blue teams featured on the show. The dynamic and bustling kitchen is the centerpiece of this unique eatery, with mosaic tiles framing the open space artfully, allowing guests to appreciate from every seat in the house. Chefs and cooks in the kitchen will be in the exact uniforms from the show – red and blue jackets with coordinating bandanas. To further bring the electric atmosphere of the studio into the dining room, additional key elements of the show are infused in the design, such as fire and heat and custom designed lighting that combine brass rods with pitchfork features and runs across the high ceilings. HELL’S KITCHEN’s iconic “H” and pitchfork symbols are cleverly featured throughout the custom-designed, laser-cut screen partitions and soft charcoal and ash-hued wallcovering.

“Creating unique and world class-dining experiences is one-way Caesars Entertainment is strengthening the integrated resort concept,” said Mark Frissora President and CEO of Caesars Entertainment. “A key element of this is building strong partnerships and Gordon is not only a great partner but also one of the biggest talents in culinary.”

Several of the most successful signature menu items and recipes featured on the television show can now be experienced during lunch and dinner including Pan Seared Scallops, Lobster Risotto, Beef Wellington, Truffle Arancini, Brick Pressed Chicken and Crispy Skin Salmon. Special menu items direct from the show will be added as new episodes air.

To perfectly complement the cuisine or to simply enjoy at the restaurant’s sprawling bar, the cocktails at HELL’S KITCHEN are not to be missed. The signature creations include the gin-based Notes from Gordon, garnished with a scroll printed with a surprise note from Gordon Ramsay; the citrus and rosemary laden Chef’s Stew, served bubbling and steaming from dry ice; and the rye-based Smoke on the Blvd, which arrives in a cherry-wood smoke-filled glass cabinet. The restaurant also boasts an expertly curated wine list with over 20 wines offered by the glass. The beer list is also notable with more than 30 options, and includes an exclusive HELL’S KITCHEN Special Brew IPA from Stone Brewing.

“With Gordon and his team, we created a unique dining experience based on one of the most popular shows on television. I’m very proud of what we have achieved. The room has been transformed and feels just like the set of Hell’s Kitchen, and the food and service is worthy of the Gordon Ramsay,” said Gary Selesner Regional President Caesars Palace. “The response from guests so far has been very gratifying. They are delighted with the menu and love the concept. It looks like we have another big hit on our hands. I can’t wait for everyone to try it.”

Gordon Ramsay HELL’S KITCHEN marks Ramsay’s fifth Las Vegas restaurant and extends his successful partnership with Caesars Entertainment to seven eateries with more to come. The new restaurant is a partnership between Gordon Ramsay and Caesars Entertainment in conjunction with ITV America. HELL’S KITCHEN airs in the U.S. on FOX and is produced by ITV Entertainment in association with A. Smith & Co. Productions. Arthur Smith, Kent Weed, Kenny Rosen, David Eilenberg and Gordon Ramsay serve as executive producers. HELL’S KITCHEN airs in 41 countries around the globe.

Former Pitbull Manager Strikes Up His own Success with Eatery

Two years of phenomenal food truck success, die-hard celebrity fans, and over 31K Instagram followers, the World Famous House of Mac opens its first ever free-standing restaurant in South Beach, Miami on Friday, Dec. 2nd.

Known for their unique spin on traditional cuisine, owner Derrick Turton, also known as “Chef Teach”, whips up succulent delights like jerk salmon pasta, fried chicken & pumpkin spice waffles, and his signature World Famous Mac & Cheese.

Since World Famous House of Mac’s inception in 2015, Teach could be spotted in his mobile food truck bearing his trademark logo, delivering his irresistible dishes at the Wynwood Yard in South Florida. The mac and cheese-centric eatery took Miami’s dining scene to exciting new heights as fans lined around for blocks to sample the mouthwatering mixed-style Caribbean soul-food. His elaborate Caribbean flair has enticed locals and celebrities alike to claim Chef Teach as their “go-to guy” for catering events.

Teach attended culinary school in 1998, but began his professional career in the music industry – he was Pitbull’s Manager for more than 13 years while working alongside other hip-hop royalty such as A$AP Rocky and Yo Gotti. During his time in the music industry, Teach developed friendships with artists such as N.O.R.E. and Fat Joe in and out of the studio. Next thing you know, he often found himself cooking amazing dishes for his friends.

After devouring Teach’s decadent variations of mac and cheese and discovering his unsurpassed culinary talent, friends like Bun B encouraged Teach to “take the cooking thing more seriously.” Bun B convinced Teach to prepare some of his signature dishes for his guests and observe their reactions, just to show Teach how good he really was.

Then after his father’s passing in 2013, Teach felt an immense urge to do something meaningful with his life, inspiring him to take his friends’ advice, circle back to his culinary roots, and build his legacy as “Chef Teach.” In honor of his beloved father, Teach designed a caricature of his father’s face, which is now the renowned World Famous Mac and Cheese logo.

World Famous House of Mac top picks include the World-Famous Five Cheese Truffle Mac, pizza mac, lobster mac, and the buttermilk fried chicken with waffles. With pescatarian, vegetarian and vegan options, everyone can find delicious dishes to devour.

Located in the in the heart of South Beach at 1216 Washington Ave in Miami Beach, World Famous House of Mac is an up-beat restaurant designed with rich, rustic wood treatments and oversized leather banquets, giving the space a relaxed speakeasy vibe with vintage, industrial flair. The ambiance and chef-driven comfort food places World Famous House of Mac amongst Miami’s most popular dining spots.

Essentials of a Solid Small business Website

If you are running a small business, your small business website is the door that allows people inside. It would be fruitless to spend countless hours brainstorming and developing your business, only to let your website be lacking in what it needs to engage potential customers.

If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door.
~Anonymous

Having a dynamic, effective website is your number one resource in marketing your brand. Without it, no one will even know you exist. So, without further delay, here are 4 essentials of a solid small business website.

Lowell Hawthorne, a 57-year-old Carribean business owner committed suicide in New York over the weekend. He was the founder and CEO of Golden Krust Caribbean Bakery & Grill. He was once featured on the hit show “Undercover Boss” a show about entrepreneurs who have challenges with their businesses. He had 120 restaurants in nine states and built an empire. But as we all know being an Entrepreneur is like being manic, the highs are very high but the lows are very low. Read the whole story here.

ENTREPRENEUR AND 21-TIME GRAMMY® WINNER SHAWN “JAY-Z” CARTER TO BE HONORED WITH THE GRAM

MY SALUTE TO INDUSTRY ICONS® AWARD AT THE 2018 PRE-GRAMMY® GALA

CLIVE DAVIS AND THE RECORDING ACADEMY™WILL PRESENT GALA ON SATURDAY, JAN. 27, 2018, AT SHERATON NEW YORK TIMES SQUARE ON THE EVE OF THE 60TH ANNUAL GRAMMY AWARDS®

Clive Davis and the Recording Academy™ will present the annual Pre-GRAMMY® Gala on Saturday, Jan. 27, 2018, at Sheraton New York Times Square, the evening preceding the 60th Annual GRAMMY Awards®. As part of the celebration, entrepreneur and 21-time GRAMMY winner Shawn “JAY-Z” Carter will be recognized as the 2018 GRAMMY Salute To Industry Icons® honoree for his significant contributions to the music industry and his numerous philanthropic endeavors.

Sponsored by Delta, Hilton, JBL By Harman, and Mastercard, the invitation-only Pre-GRAMMY Gala has long been one of the music industry’s most prestigious events, having hosted the industry’s top leaders and welcomed the world’s most talented artists on its stage. For the past decade, the gala has also included a presentation to honor industry luminaries through the Recording Academy’s GRAMMY Salute To Industry Icons Award. Past recipients include Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss, Irving Azoff, Martin Bandier, Sir Richard Branson, Clive Davis, Ahmet Ertegun, David Geffen, Berry Gordy, Lucian Grainge, Debra L. Lee, Doug Morris, Mo Ostin, and Antonio “L.A.” Reid.

“We are absolutely thrilled and delighted to honor JAY-Z with this year’s GRAMMY Salute to Industry Icons Award. His contributions as an industry trailblazer and music visionary only begin to touch on the tremendous impact he’s made both in entertainment and beyond,” said Neil Portnow, President/CEO of the Recording Academy. “JAY-Z also embodies the vibrant spirit of New York City and we couldn’t imagine a more fitting honoree as we return to Manhattan for this year’s GRAMMY Awards.

“JAY-Z is a quintessential icon and I couldn’t be happier and more excited to share the evening with him,” said Clive Davis, co-host of the Pre-GRAMMY Gala. “What a night this will be!”

Since 1996, Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee and 21-time GRAMMY Award winner Shawn “JAY Z” Carter has been a dominant force in popular culture, with multiple businesses and accolades across the recording industry.

Among his achievements, Carter has served as President of Def Jam Recordings, launched the successful Made In America festival, acquired luxury spirits brand Armand De Brignac, and maintains his role as majority owner in the 40/40 sports clubs. In 2013, Carter launched Roc Nation Sports, whose roster includes NBA Champion Kevin Durant and MLB All-Star Robinson Cano. Carter became co-owner in global streaming service, TIDAL, in 2015. In 2017, Carter became the first hip-hop artist to be inducted into the Songwriters Hall Of Fame.

Carter is active in giving back to the community, most notably through his philanthropic work through the Shawn Carter Foundation. The Foundation, founded in 2002, is dedicated to helping individuals facing socio-economic hardships further their education, encouraging them to tap into their potential. Since the foundation launched, Shawn Carter Scholars are studying at more than 100 institutions of higher education throughout the nation.

Ask for free or discount services?

What I find most amazing about people who ask for discounts is that they are always the same ones who OVERCHARGE other people for their services. And they demand premium rates. This is OUTRAGEOUSLY selfish and unacceptable to your growth.

After many years of falling for this trick, I finally had to stop. People who are closest to you will try to make you feel obligated. Like you owe THEM something for YOUR success. No matter how you look at it, that’s exactly the way it comes off. If I work hard for what I have and I’m providing a great service and you need to pay the price and shut the hell up. Don’t ask me for this.

Know that if you allow someone a discount or free services it is absolutely possible they’re going to tell other people. In addition, they will NEVER pay you full price. They will CONTINUE to ask for MORE discounts. Which in essence is going to destroy your business and make you ask for discounts and hookups as well. Someone once told me, nobody wants to do business with someone who looks like they NEED it. Stop doing ghetto business or you’ll never get corporate clients.

Don’t Hire Friends, Just Give them the Money

It is not your job to save the world (aka Hire Friends) but if you volunteer, be prepared to work 24 hours a day. I’ve heard every sob story you can imagine and I’m not falling for it anymore. I’m not saying that it’s impossible to have a good experience but it’s RARE.

Hiring friends is always a problem. It almost always starts with some kind of a sob story which puts you behind the 8 ball from gate. They have an unfair advantage. Their mission is not to build your business as much as it is to get money in their pockets. You are not the welfare office. Not only with it hurt YOU it will absolutely affect your business to. You would seriously be better off to just GIVE the money.

They think that you’re obligated to help them and they treat you in that way. They give you excuses they take their time getting the work done they want you to do extra favors like drop off the money at the bank and other things that you don’t have the time to do. I have one friend that I hired who was really good at what she does but she wants me to always drop money off at the bank, stand in line give her account number because she doesn’t have PayPal and refuses to get it. Really? Well, I will mail you a check then. So I’m obligated to go and stand in line and wait and then pay her money to her in another state I finally told her to get off her ass and get a PayPal account or set up Zeele with her bank account. I do not have time to go to the bank park my car and stand in line to pay someone. That’s not my damn job and it’s asking a LOT for me to do it.CLICK TO SEE MORE MISTAKES ENTREPRENEURS CONSTANTLY MAKE … YOU TOO?.

Who has the time to repeatedly look for the best web hosting?

I know that I don’t and I completely understand what it’s like to have a site all set up and get a spike in traffic then have your site crash. Right at the time when you could be converting a ton of viewers to your email list. A few years ago. I got the exclusive for one of my sites when a celebrity died. I literally think I was the FIRST one to report on her death and my site was hosted by a very popular hosting company. Needless to say, they didn’t live up to their promises and my site crashed giving other sites an opportunity to falsely claim that THEY were the source for the news. Of course it was tragic because someone died but this can also happen when you have news to share with your customers.

To that end, I’ve been with at least 5 hosting companies at this point and the one that is at the top of my list is WPengine. Hands down they have the BEST and most knowledgable customer service and they are right there if your site crashes or you need tech help for your blog, which I have found out is the MOST important aspect of hosting. WP stands for WordPress so they are experts in the are of the most popular format for blogs. I’ve been with WPEngine for 4 years now and I love it. I have had traffic spikes with no problem and even when my site has crashed without me knowing, they were on it by sending me an email to let me know they were either working on it or they had fixed it.

If you are serious about your business and your presentation I have two recommendations for you WPengine for your hosting and StudioPress for your amazing template.

Allow people to downgrade your business?

If someone insults or puts down your business. It’s should be as if they insulted one of your children. I lose it.

There are times that when people don’t get what they want from you and then act like kids in the playground, pissed because you won’t play with them. They downgrade your business and try to make you feel bad saying things like … ‘nobody’s interested in your business’ or you’re dated or you don’t know what the hell you’re doing. At that point, they see sharp teeth and hear growling (lol). I have worked TOO hard for what I have. Not having it.

That psychology is them putting you down because you didn’t give them what they want but at the end of the day, it’s pure jealousy and envy. Unfortunately, that kind of vitriol comes from so-called friends/associates and even family members. Once again don’t let anybody mess with the flow of your business.CLICK TO SEE MORE MISTAKES ENTREPRENEURS CONSTANTLY MAKE … YOU TOO?.

Do not allow anyone to throw your day off. Nothing like unimportant interruptions

For some odd reason, many people think that entrepreneurs do nothing but sit around and twiddle our thumbs and wait for money to come in. I guess this is why we get unimportant interruptions during the day? They are really under the impression that because we do what we love we’re not working. And part of that is correct, we’re not working. But we’re always busy and we never sleep. A phone call from your mother (especially) or family member or anyone else calling with drama or wanting nothing at all in the middle of your busy workday can kill your entire rhythm. For the rest of the day. You are forced to answer the call because something could be wrong.

Make sure that you let everyone know that you are not to receive calls or text for eight hours. And SET your hours while you work 8 to 10 hours and that you will talk to them afterward but do not allow them to disrupt your day. I do not feel guilty about sending someone directly to voicemail if they break the rule. If it’s an emergency, text me or you can send them a text and asked him if everything’s OK … but constantly tell them you’re busy, you’re busy, you’re busy, you’re busy and eventually, it may take YEARS, they’ll get the message.CLICK TO SEE MORE MISTAKES ENTREPRENEURS CONSTANTLY MAKE … YOU TOO?.

You would be amazed at how much you are wasting money each month. Many mistakes can be on your bills and your credit card statements. Medical bills are usually loaded with overcharges. if you go see a doctor and they send you those bills for extra services that they claim the insurance company did not cover for $30 or $40 or even $400.00. Notice that they rarely send you an itemized bill WITH services on it. They will send you a list of numbers and codes. Most people simply pay it but I have a relative who does medical billing that hipped me to this years ago. It’s a trick. DEMAND a bill with services on it. They often use outside companies to do their billing who are told to use codes. Only insurance companies can understand these codes but MANY times you are being OVERBILLED. If the insurance company doesn’t cover it you are obligated to make up the difference and for hypochondriacs like me, that can get costly (lol). That money adds up.

Bank and Credit Cards?

Bank and credit card statement are also often loaded with errors. Credit card statements have charges on them for services you’re not even using. For example, you may subscribe to something and forget that you subscribed to it and you are repeatedly being billed month after month. I have an excellent suggestion for this, get the app “Clarity Money.” It keeps track of all your accounts including payments and subscriptions and even your stocks. The app allows you to cancel the subscriptions you are not using on it, which is very convenient. It’s free and secure with a password.

Finally, the good thing is that you can call many companies and request that they remove the subscription charges. They will usually take it off because they don’t want the credit card company to give them a bad ranking. If this happens they will not be able to charge other people who have the same credit card.

Did You Know that …

Did you know that if you overdraw your bank account they will return all the overdraft charges once a year? (most banks will, within a certain amount of weeks or months) We waste SO much money then wonder why our earnings don’t match our bank account savings at the end of the year. You need to just take a few minutes to do research instead of buying apps and business products that may cost less or even be free.

I am a staunch advocate of price matching. If I buy office equipment, BEFORE I go up to the register I check it on Amazon Prime. I have saved hundreds if not thousands by doing this over the years. The added bonus to you is that is you get the discount AND can easily return it, if there is a problem, unlike Amazon where you have to mail it back.

The other day, I even got on my own case about coffee and spending $4.00 a day 6 days a week. That’s $24.00 a week, $96 a month and a whopping $1152.00 a year that I could be investing in stocks. This is money we never get back. I bought a coffee maker and started making my damn coffee at home.CLICK TO SEE MORE MISTAKES ENTREPRENEURS CONSTANTLY MAKE … YOU TOO?.

Middlemen that bring up things that they did for you in the past

The worst kind of middlemen are people who will do business with you, or introduce you to a new client then hold you and your business hostage for a lifetime. They expect you to give them something free or at a steep discount for the tenure of your entire business. This is like doing business with a loan shark. You pay them back 20 times over. Whenever somebody does you a favor or something in business that helps your business send them a thank you card take them to lunch or do something to WRAP the situation that clearly indicates TIL NEXT TIME, but never allow the return of the favor to linger because you will NEVER stop paying the debt back.

There are definitely people who make you pay for life. As the old saying goes there is no such thing as a free lunch. In addition, while it’s great of them to introduce you to new purse strings (business), there is something to be said about them blocking YOU from meeting the purse. Don’t allow yourself to be used.CLICK TO SEE MORE MISTAKES ENTREPRENEURS CONSTANTLY MAKE … YOU TOO?.

I wouldn’t say that being a business owner is hard work as much as I would say it can be challenging. As we all know, if you love what you do and you do what you love it’s never work. Nevertheless, there are certain things that can get in the way of your daily progress. Some of which can literally make you not want to work for the rest of the day. There are things that you should avoid when it affects your business. Here are some tips that I’ve learned over the years that can make your business run a lot smoother.

Being Nosy

DON’T: Bring an assistant to a business meeting without telling the other party

I’ve had this happen on a couple of occasions and while others may not mind, I find it to be very rude and inconsiderate. It pisses me off. If you’re going to bring someone else to a lunch meeting or dinner meeting let the other business person now. They may want to discuss something with you that is private or personal.

In addition, it is disrespectful because the assistant is being treated as an equal party. Information can later be used against you or the other person at the table. I did not request a meeting with your assistant, I requested a meeting with YOU. At LEAST give me the option to say no. It comes off as grandstanding and very diva-like to bring other people into a meeting unannounced. The next time that happens I’m walking out of the meeting. More tips coming this week.

Minding My Own Damn business
Any successful entrepreneur will tell you that running a SUCCESSFUL business can be both rewarding and very challenging; you are literally married to your business. You may not have much of a personal life or balance because running a successful business can become an addiction but as time goes on, you will become more accustomed to what it takes to have a smooth operation, which includes being able to delegate and hire the right people, keep your sales intact and continuing to educate yourself in your industry so that you can grow. It’s a herculean task and not everyone can do it but I have noticed that those who are not fully committed don’t reap the rewards and they continue to struggle. Whom will you be? The one that struggles or the one that succeeds? It’s up to you. Your business can make, break, build you or even KILL if you if you are not careful. Buy now at Amazon